Studio Blog
Welcome to the Demand Studios Blog – a resource for writers, contributors and freelancers alike! Come here for answers to your questions, Studio news, writing tips and more.
Posts from July
The Demand Studios Grant Program has chosen Dani Alexis Ryskamp as the recipient of July’s $1,000 grant.
Dani Alexis’ project is a series of historical fiction short stories. Her work has been featured in the webzine, Expanded Horizons, but her goal is to publish her work as a complete collection. Intending to publish between ten to twenty short stories, we are excited to see her final product! Don’t forget to submit your application for the August grant because you could be our next winner!
We’ve read some amazing applications and would like to remind you that you can submit one project three times. The guidelines and application are in the Help section of your Resource Center. Applications for August’s grant will be accepted from Sunday, August 1 through Saturday, August 7th.
Dani Alexis’ project is a series of historical fiction short stories. Her work has been featured in the webzine, Expanded Horizons, but her goal is to publish her work as a complete collection. Intending to publish between ten to twenty short stories, we are excited to see her final product! Don’t forget to submit your application for the August grant because you could be our next winner!
We’ve read some amazing applications and would like to remind you that you can submit one project three times. The guidelines and application are in the Help section of your Resource Center. Applications for August’s grant will be accepted from Sunday, August 1 through Saturday, August 7th.
Congratulations again to Dani Alexis!
Joe Crosby isn't new to the Studio, but he is new to our editorial room. We wanted to take a minute and introduce the latest member to our editorial team, Joe Crosby.
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
I’m Roger Thorne. Since I stopped practicing law, most of my income has been from freelance writing. Though I love writing, I don’t like the peaks and valleys so common to freelance work. With Demand Studios, I have a very effective gap filler. When I don’t have other projects to work on, I come here and know I can get all the work I want. It’s a perfect work-at-home job, especially when you consider home can be anywhere with a computer and an Internet connection. Thanks Demand Studios.
I’m Roger Thorne. Since I stopped practicing law, most of my income has been from freelance writing. Though I love writing, I don’t like the peaks and valleys so common to freelance work. With Demand Studios, I have a very effective gap filler. When I don’t have other projects to work on, I come here and know I can get all the work I want. It’s a perfect work-at-home job, especially when you consider home can be anywhere with a computer and an Internet connection. Thanks Demand Studios.
Editor's Note: This is the second from a four-part series from Greg West, our Studio intern who is currently majoring in print/digital journalism at USC.
Read the first part here.
Thanks to my editor’s initiative, I had finally escaped the cramped confines of the newsroom.
I was at last out on the open road with my notepad and recorder hidden snugly beneath the professional folds of my khaki pants. The sweet taste of freedom had never been so sweet. Absent mindedly tapping my fingers on the steering wheel, I was heading to Mansfield Massachusetts to see Phish perform live at the Comcast Center. This would be my first big internet assignment as a rookie reporter for a two-thousand word blog post on the concert. I had no idea what to expect.
Things, of course, got weird as soon as I parked the car.
“Hey, man,” said the child with crooked glasses, outstretched palms, and a boyish grin. His hair was matted to his silt-strewn face and his clothes hung off his body like tie-dye rags on a scarecrow. “Make a miracle and get me dosed.”
I stood there with my mouth open. What did a ten 10-year-old just asked me for?
To his immeasurable chagrin, I didn’t have the means to give him the sort of “miracle” he wanted. However, I could sense that he possibly had something for me.
“Can I quote you on that?” I laughed and pulled the recorder out of my pocket to hold it out to him. “I’m writing an article about the band.”
“Uh, well, I don’t know,” he said untrustingly, “I have to talk to my dad.”
“Well,” I said “Do you think he’d mind talking to me about the band?”
It turned out that he didn’t mind at all. The kid, whose name turned out to be Travis, led me through mess of cars until we eventually stopped at his home - an old handed-down Winnebago illegally parked in one of the farthest lots.
His parents were sitting outside the car RV on lawn chairs with Travis’s three other siblings playing in the foreground. Travis’s parents had both been following bands since their childhoods. They lived frugally, made their money by begging and did their best to “exist for the moment.” I was so engrossed in talking to them that I missed the first three songs of the concert.
I was quickly discovering that there are interesting people all over with their own distinctive stories. The interview itself appeared to be my greatest method of uncovering these “social histories.” From these histories a new perspective is inevitably created for a previously unknown culture. Looking back, the Phish concert itself was great, but couldn’t compare with the lessons that my first interview helped teach me.
I knew this would be the first piece of the puzzle to a daring new adventure. But first, it was back to the newsroom to try and paste together the information nearly bursting from my notepad and recorder.
To be continued...
Read the first part here.
Thanks to my editor’s initiative, I had finally escaped the cramped confines of the newsroom.
I was at last out on the open road with my notepad and recorder hidden snugly beneath the professional folds of my khaki pants. The sweet taste of freedom had never been so sweet. Absent mindedly tapping my fingers on the steering wheel, I was heading to Mansfield Massachusetts to see Phish perform live at the Comcast Center. This would be my first big internet assignment as a rookie reporter for a two-thousand word blog post on the concert. I had no idea what to expect.
Things, of course, got weird as soon as I parked the car.
“Hey, man,” said the child with crooked glasses, outstretched palms, and a boyish grin. His hair was matted to his silt-strewn face and his clothes hung off his body like tie-dye rags on a scarecrow. “Make a miracle and get me dosed.”
I stood there with my mouth open. What did a ten 10-year-old just asked me for?
To his immeasurable chagrin, I didn’t have the means to give him the sort of “miracle” he wanted. However, I could sense that he possibly had something for me.
“Can I quote you on that?” I laughed and pulled the recorder out of my pocket to hold it out to him. “I’m writing an article about the band.”
“Uh, well, I don’t know,” he said untrustingly, “I have to talk to my dad.”
“Well,” I said “Do you think he’d mind talking to me about the band?”
It turned out that he didn’t mind at all. The kid, whose name turned out to be Travis, led me through mess of cars until we eventually stopped at his home - an old handed-down Winnebago illegally parked in one of the farthest lots.
His parents were sitting outside the car RV on lawn chairs with Travis’s three other siblings playing in the foreground. Travis’s parents had both been following bands since their childhoods. They lived frugally, made their money by begging and did their best to “exist for the moment.” I was so engrossed in talking to them that I missed the first three songs of the concert.
I was quickly discovering that there are interesting people all over with their own distinctive stories. The interview itself appeared to be my greatest method of uncovering these “social histories.” From these histories a new perspective is inevitably created for a previously unknown culture. Looking back, the Phish concert itself was great, but couldn’t compare with the lessons that my first interview helped teach me.
I knew this would be the first piece of the puzzle to a daring new adventure. But first, it was back to the newsroom to try and paste together the information nearly bursting from my notepad and recorder.
To be continued...
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
My name is Constance Barker, and I live in southern Ohio. I've been writing for my own websites for the past five years. My websites range from personal finance to identity theft. I love working for Demand Studios because of the flexibility and the ability to work from home. I have learned a great deal in my research for Demand Studios and feel it's an honor to be a part of a great company and this talented network of writers and copy editors.
My name is Constance Barker, and I live in southern Ohio. I've been writing for my own websites for the past five years. My websites range from personal finance to identity theft. I love working for Demand Studios because of the flexibility and the ability to work from home. I have learned a great deal in my research for Demand Studios and feel it's an honor to be a part of a great company and this talented network of writers and copy editors.
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
My name is Nathan Moffett, and I am a videographer- and editor-in-the-making. I entered the professional world three years ago and can thank Demand Studios for giving me hope for the future. I heard about Demand Studios from a fellow videographer soon after I got married and am very thankful I did. I have recently been laid off, and instead of frantically looking for another job, I have Demand Studios to turn to. Demand Studios has also given me great feedback on my work and listed things to improve on along the way. I look forward to the future as we continue to work together.
My name is Nathan Moffett, and I am a videographer- and editor-in-the-making. I entered the professional world three years ago and can thank Demand Studios for giving me hope for the future. I heard about Demand Studios from a fellow videographer soon after I got married and am very thankful I did. I have recently been laid off, and instead of frantically looking for another job, I have Demand Studios to turn to. Demand Studios has also given me great feedback on my work and listed things to improve on along the way. I look forward to the future as we continue to work together.
Editor’s Note: Kevin Z. Smith is the President of the Society of Professional Journalists, and a member of the Demand Media editorial advisory board. Having taught journalism at Fairmont State University in West Virginia, and served 18 years on SPJ’s ethics committee, he knows a thing or two about plagiarism. We asked him to discuss the issue in this guest blog post.
Some years ago while teaching a newspaper reporting class, I paused over a student’s paper with an eerie feeling I had read the story before. After a couple more reads, I set it aside, convinced this particular student’s writing was markedly improved and had a familiar sound to it.
The next day, I shared it with my colleagues at the daily newspaper. The entertainment editor, upon immediate glance, said she knew the story. It was hers. Verbatim. Every word, comma and period. The only “original” work contributed was the fictitious people and quotes added to the story.
Over the past 11 years of teaching journalism and English composition courses, I’ve seen hundreds of examples of “re-appropriation of another person’s words.” Talking with colleagues, a conservative estimate tells me that plagiarism takes place in more than half of the student papers we receive. I’d estimate about half of that number is deliberate, while that other half is just uninformed or confused about what constitutes plagiarism. But, as they say in the courthouse, “Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law.”
Many universities employ increasingly sophisticated plagiarism software to catch violators. Demand Studios does likewise, and the rise in plagiarized content has many of its editors concerned and baffled. In journalism, plagiarism is a cardinal sin. Pulitzer-prize winners have lost jobs or been demoted because they “lifted” a single sentence or phrase from another writer without attribution. The Code of Ethics for the Society of Professional Journalists uses only two words to convey its idea – "Never Plagiarize."
According to "The Penguin Handbook" by Lester Faigley (a must-have text for writers and a staple on every college campus in America), plagiarism is “claiming credit for someone else’s intellectual work …” Sounds simple, but the devil is always in the detail. Writers are becoming more sophisticated in their use of intellectual work. Only lazy and dumb thieves cut and paste anymore. Many resort to changing words periodically within a sentence or paragraph and “refine” it as their own. Still the same crime because plagiarism is about thought theft and not just word theft.
Imagine criminals breaking into a warehouse and stealing cases of handbags and then selling them on the streets. That’s cut-and-paste theft. There is no pretense to how you got them or what you’re doing with them. But, if you steal a designer label, mock it, create it in your own warehouse and sell it in the open Asian markets as a “knock off,” it’s still the same crime. Yes, you put a little more effort into your scam, but you’re still robbing the creator of his or her creation. Coming up with your own design is better and, honestly, as writers, wouldn’t you want to create and own all of your words?
So how to avoid: First, research your topic. It’s the first line of defense. By researching and becoming educated about your topic, you’re less inclined to take someone else’s words. Become an authority for that moment and know your subject. Then put it in your own words and describe it originally.
Second, attribute unoriginal content. Use the authors’ name, and cite the work. Use quotation marks, and give citations. All of these are relatively easy, and they tell your readers that you are using someone else’s work. Get a good writer’s reference book, and keep it handy if you have doubts.
Demand Studios wants work that bears your name to be your best original effort. Write originally, and when you don’t, make sure you attribute “all” and not just parts. Plagiarism has no place in the writing world. Doing so labels you a lazy, ineffective and unimaginative writer. It might also label you unemployable as well.
Some years ago while teaching a newspaper reporting class, I paused over a student’s paper with an eerie feeling I had read the story before. After a couple more reads, I set it aside, convinced this particular student’s writing was markedly improved and had a familiar sound to it.
The next day, I shared it with my colleagues at the daily newspaper. The entertainment editor, upon immediate glance, said she knew the story. It was hers. Verbatim. Every word, comma and period. The only “original” work contributed was the fictitious people and quotes added to the story.
Over the past 11 years of teaching journalism and English composition courses, I’ve seen hundreds of examples of “re-appropriation of another person’s words.” Talking with colleagues, a conservative estimate tells me that plagiarism takes place in more than half of the student papers we receive. I’d estimate about half of that number is deliberate, while that other half is just uninformed or confused about what constitutes plagiarism. But, as they say in the courthouse, “Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law.”
Many universities employ increasingly sophisticated plagiarism software to catch violators. Demand Studios does likewise, and the rise in plagiarized content has many of its editors concerned and baffled. In journalism, plagiarism is a cardinal sin. Pulitzer-prize winners have lost jobs or been demoted because they “lifted” a single sentence or phrase from another writer without attribution. The Code of Ethics for the Society of Professional Journalists uses only two words to convey its idea – "Never Plagiarize."
According to "The Penguin Handbook" by Lester Faigley (a must-have text for writers and a staple on every college campus in America), plagiarism is “claiming credit for someone else’s intellectual work …” Sounds simple, but the devil is always in the detail. Writers are becoming more sophisticated in their use of intellectual work. Only lazy and dumb thieves cut and paste anymore. Many resort to changing words periodically within a sentence or paragraph and “refine” it as their own. Still the same crime because plagiarism is about thought theft and not just word theft.
Imagine criminals breaking into a warehouse and stealing cases of handbags and then selling them on the streets. That’s cut-and-paste theft. There is no pretense to how you got them or what you’re doing with them. But, if you steal a designer label, mock it, create it in your own warehouse and sell it in the open Asian markets as a “knock off,” it’s still the same crime. Yes, you put a little more effort into your scam, but you’re still robbing the creator of his or her creation. Coming up with your own design is better and, honestly, as writers, wouldn’t you want to create and own all of your words?
So how to avoid: First, research your topic. It’s the first line of defense. By researching and becoming educated about your topic, you’re less inclined to take someone else’s words. Become an authority for that moment and know your subject. Then put it in your own words and describe it originally.
Second, attribute unoriginal content. Use the authors’ name, and cite the work. Use quotation marks, and give citations. All of these are relatively easy, and they tell your readers that you are using someone else’s work. Get a good writer’s reference book, and keep it handy if you have doubts.
Demand Studios wants work that bears your name to be your best original effort. Write originally, and when you don’t, make sure you attribute “all” and not just parts. Plagiarism has no place in the writing world. Doing so labels you a lazy, ineffective and unimaginative writer. It might also label you unemployable as well.
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
I'm April Sanders, and I'm an accidental full-time writer. As a teacher, I looked at my part-time curriculum writing job as a hobby, but when I had my baby, I quit teaching. Suddenly, I needed more income than my occasional curriculum writing assignments could provide. Demand Studios gave me the opportunity to branch out from curriculum writing and write on a wide variety of subjects while earning a steady, reliable income. While I never saw myself as a professional writer, Demand Studios treats me like one, and today, I am a better writer because of it.
I'm April Sanders, and I'm an accidental full-time writer. As a teacher, I looked at my part-time curriculum writing job as a hobby, but when I had my baby, I quit teaching. Suddenly, I needed more income than my occasional curriculum writing assignments could provide. Demand Studios gave me the opportunity to branch out from curriculum writing and write on a wide variety of subjects while earning a steady, reliable income. While I never saw myself as a professional writer, Demand Studios treats me like one, and today, I am a better writer because of it.
Any Comi-Con fans out there? Make sure to check out Mania's coverage of the "The Con" in San Diego last weekend.
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
I’m Virginia Lutz. My writing experience includes grant requests for nonprofits, marketing brochures and various other technical writing. I am presently writing a fiction novel with the hope of becoming published. Demand Studios works for me because it gives me the opportunity to write about topics in which I’m interested and gives me the chance to research and write about a myriad other subjects. I can browse the open articles and find the ones that appeal to me. Demand Studios has also challenged me to refine my writing skills.
I’m Virginia Lutz. My writing experience includes grant requests for nonprofits, marketing brochures and various other technical writing. I am presently writing a fiction novel with the hope of becoming published. Demand Studios works for me because it gives me the opportunity to write about topics in which I’m interested and gives me the chance to research and write about a myriad other subjects. I can browse the open articles and find the ones that appeal to me. Demand Studios has also challenged me to refine my writing skills.
